Most Common Ammo Types

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  • LongTom

    Active Member
    Jan 13, 2010
    220
    Southern Maryland
    A few days ago I was speaking with some friends about ammunition availability in the US and abroad and which types of ammunition would be readily available in the event of a catastrophic disaster. There were some conflicting opinions about which types were most and least available.

    Let me start out by saying that I am not here to offer you kooky information about the end of the wold. If that's what you're looking for, read elsewhere. I'm a realist. A realist says hurricanes, earthquakes, and terrible tsunami such as the one in Japan could very well rock our region. Let us not forget Hurricane Katrina. A realist says that the United States is not immune to the ever looming threat of attack however small the probability may be. A realist also says that peace and stability of the governing body is not a guarantee, such as evidenced during the LA Riots.

    Sure, you're going to say that everyone should have a personal reserve of ammunition. But some of us aren't fortunate or wealthy enough to stock nearly as much as we would like to. The damn gun costs enough as it is!

    We could discuss "what if" all day but that's not what I'm here to do.

    So what calibers are the MOST common? If you had to run out to Wal Mart and buy (or scavenge) some ammunition, what would you probably find when you got there if not picked clean already? Most likely you're going to find nothing and ammunition will be in short supply nationwide. Looters and law enforcement will be cleaning house first.

    What ammunition would your neighbors, friends, or other citizens most likely be carrying? If you lived near a warehouse or distribution center, what's on the shelves? It makes sense to me to carry a common caliber to allow friends and neighbors to pool resources.

    I called several leading ammunition and weapon manufacturers to find the official answer. During the calls I asked three simple questions and I will present the answers to those questions below, in simple summary form so as not to single out any one company.

    Bear in mind that each representative was also asked to rule out ammunition sold to Foreign export, Military, and Law Enforcement and keep their answers strictly to the civilian market.

    Companies who were contacted:

    Winchester (wonderful tech support!)
    Remington (the guy from Remington was a raging dick, sorry if that offends anyone)
    Blazer - Said they would call me back (Still waiting)
    Federal - declined to respond
    PMC (Super nice and willing to speak at length)



    Question Number 1.

    What are the most common calibers in terms of sheer number in the United States TODAY. Some of the answers were surprising and others were pretty common sense.

    Answer:

    FOR RIFLE

    1. 22LR

    (Not surprisingly, I was told two different times that 22LR beats everything else by such an enormous landslide that it's rediculous)

    2. .223 and 5.56

    (I asked each about 7.62x39 and the general consensus was that, at least in the United States, 7.62x39 and .308 were not even in the ballpark of .223 in terms of availability and civilian market reserves and should not be considered for a "top five." I am not disputing that it is a fine caliber.)

    3. 30-06

    4. 30-30

    (It is unclear whether 30-06 or 30-30 is more popular than the other and it varies by region)

    5. .270

    (also very close to #3 and #4, varies by region)

    Close honorable mentions - 300win short (gaining popularity), 308 Win and 7mm

    FOR PISTOL

    1. 9mm

    (by a landslide. Nothing else even half as much)

    2. .45ACP

    (Can anyone say 1911? :) )

    3. .40 S&W

    4. 357 & 38 special

    5. 380ACP

    (This one was surprising to me that it would be so close as to be in the top 5)

    Honorable mention - 357 SIG (although barely)

    BUT WHAT ABOUT SHOTGUN?

    1. 12 gauge. 2&3/4 - PERIOD

    (Duh, right? :lol: )


    Question Number 2.

    Is ammunition availability different depending on where you go in the United States? If so how different?

    Answer:

    It differs a little bit but not by any significant margin overly noticeable to the consumer.

    Question Number 3.

    Can I get an example of some well known calibers that should be avoided?

    Answer:

    45 Long Colt and 5.7x28mm (for the FN Five-Seven) for example

    Another interesting comment I had received was that the Taurus Judge was a run-away success. 410 is "fairly" common but 45LC is pretty rare. It is yet to be seen whether the Judge will continue to proliferate the market or eventually die and fall to the wayside.

    Out of those that I called - Technical support from Winchester and PMC were by far the most helpful. They were a real treat to speak with and it is a testimony which I will consider upon my next firearm purchase. If you can't reach tech support or the warranty is sheisty, don't buy the ****ing gun, no matter how shiny it is! :sad20::sad20::sad20:

    The man from Winchester also said something interesting that I would like to repeat here. He said "Follow Wal Mart. If you're going to buy a gun and Wal Mart doesn't stock it, don't get it. It's that simple. If they don't stock it, you're shit out of luck in a disaster."

    Conclusion

    I'll still have my trusty .45 and I'll still have my AR15 but it is interesting to note that in terms of sheer numbers 22LR and 9mm are expectantly well on top of the heap. This should be no shocker. I do not own a 9mm myself (being a .45 man) but for those of you considering a caliber for self defense or home protection and not a lot of money, you may want to think again about about that old 22 rifle in the closet or a 9mm! Both are fine rounds and will serve you well.

    You can poo poo the 22 and 9mm all you want to but I do not know a man alive who would willingly put his life on the line and stand in front of one. You can find some extremely reliable weapons in both calibers. I own an old Marlin 39a and it was (and still is to this day) it is one of the finest lever action 22s EVER made, bar none.

    .223 and 9mm each respectively dominate the market in terms of sheer numbers (not counting 22LR). .223 particularly, it was said, is so far above the next most popular that there is no question as to it's availability from a consumer standpoint.

    This was not a technical survey. Although I put a lot of time into this, varied manufacturers focus sales to different market niches. Plus of course actual sales figures are company proprietary secrets so I didn't ask but it's interesting to look at the answers given.

    At any rate, it's food for thought and I've posted the information given as best I could so take this with a grain of salt. Please don't take it as any more than that.
     
    Last edited:

    Fester60

    Active Member
    Feb 1, 2010
    782
    PA
    Great information and post. Good research.

    I guess you would actually have to call some Russian company like Tula or Bear to get firgures of how much 7.62x39 they export to the states. I bet it is significant but that 5.56/.223 is still more popular.

    The 9mm is a no brainer. I love .45 but shoot more 9mm because it is about half the cost.

    You are right about .22lr. It is cheap to stock up on, guns are plentiful, and it beats having nothing at all in case of emergency. I know people will always laugh about .22lr as a defensive round, I also know that no one would volunteer to be shot by it.
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    As the Great Obama Scare of 2009 showed anyone paying attention, 9mm, 45 ACP, .223, .308, 7.62x39, and .38 Special will disappear off the shelves at the first hint of something bad going down. .40 S&W was still on shelves that year, my local PD carries .40, and I have two firearms in .40. What does that tell you?

    Jim
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    Very, very interesting. I would have picked roughly the same answers for the top calibers.

    I also found it interesting that .308 and 380ACP didn't do as well as I would have predicted.
     

    BlueHeeler

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 28, 2010
    7,086
    Washington, DC
    Interesting info.

    OTOH the chances of stocking up on ammo AFTER an event are slim and none IMHO. Look at the panic buying after one snow flake hits the road.

    Stocking up does not have to be expensive. 7.62x25 is ~$100 for 1200 rounds.
     

    LongTom

    Active Member
    Jan 13, 2010
    220
    Southern Maryland
    Very, very interesting. I would have picked roughly the same answers for the top calibers.

    I also found it interesting that .308 and 380ACP didn't do as well as I would have predicted.

    Oh but you are wrong. They DO sell well. The sheer fact that they were mentioned at all means that they were in the top five that took the "lion's share" of a market of over 300 million American consumers. There are MANY odds and ends calibers but...

    As the Great Obama Scare of 2009 showed anyone paying attention, 9mm, 45 ACP, .223, .308, 7.62x39, and .38 Special will disappear off the shelves at the first hint of something bad going down. .40 S&W was still on shelves that year, my local PD carries .40, and I have two firearms in .40. What does that tell you?

    Jim

    I asked the EXACT same thing about .40, Jim. Yes, wasn't that odd? Answers were inconsistent. Most placed it as #3 but Winchester said #4. It IS still in the top 5 (refer above to my response to erwos) but keep in mind I also asked that answers be given regardless of law enforcement influence. I'll bet if you add in law enforcement purchase it would easily rise to #2 and I would be willing to bet a paycheck on that.

    Also bear in mind that I never asked any of these fine representatives to pull out any private company data as well! They all "shot from the hip" so to speak.

    I was actually leaning toward an XD in .40 but finally decided on .45. Damn that .45 is just too damn sexy! :party29:
     

    jjbduke2004

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 19, 2008
    1,764
    Morris Oblast, NJ SSR
    The man from Winchester also said something interesting that I would like to repeat here. He said "Follow Wal Mart. If you're going to buy a gun and Wal Mart doesn't stock it, don't get it. It's that simple. If they don't stock it, you're shit out of luck in a disaster."

    When I chose my deer rifle I recognized the possibility that I might forget to bring ammo on the trip or something would happen to it. Heck, my dad once forgot his hunting license.

    There is one small sport shop in the town and a Kmart a half-hour away. I figure .30-'06, .270, .308 and .30-30 are easy to find. Try to find say 7mm WSM or something like that and you're SOL.
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    I asked the EXACT same thing about .40, Jim. Yes, wasn't that odd? Answers were inconsistent. Most placed it as #3 but Winchester said #4. It IS still in the top 5 (refer above to my response to erwos) but keep in mind I also asked that answers be given regardless of law enforcement influence. I'll bet if you add in law enforcement purchase it would easily rise to #2 and I would be willing to bet a paycheck on that.

    Also bear in mind that I never asked any of these fine representatives to pull out any private company data as well! They all "shot from the hip" so to speak.

    I was actually leaning toward an XD in .40 but finally decided on .45. Damn that .45 is just too damn sexy! :party29:

    The only reason I have anything chambered in .40 is the reason I gave earlier. One of the guns is actually a 10mm that can also shoot .40, the other is a 1911 double-stack in .40 that will get another barrel in 10mm so I can shoot both calibers. In these two guns, the .40 is not "snappy" as some people complain about here. I don't think any round could be called "snappy" out of a 6.5" N-Frame revolver, but that's just me.

    Jim
     

    Name Taken

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 23, 2010
    11,891
    Central
    Sticking with "Nato" rounds is idea.

    In a true SHTF odds are there will be some access to Nato ammo. Rather you get access to it might be a different story.

    I've debated about picking up a 9mm for this reason (and because it's cheap and everywhere).

    My personal rifles: .22 5.56/.223 .308 and 12ga
    Handguns are all .40's but I want to add a 9mm to have and eventually a 1911 just for the "collection" aspect of it.
     

    BondJamesBond

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Nov 2, 2009
    5,001
    In a true SHTF scenario, martial law will be declared and there will be confiscation, so there will be NO ammo on anyone's shelves.
     

    LongTom

    Active Member
    Jan 13, 2010
    220
    Southern Maryland
    The only reason I have anything chambered in .40 is the reason I gave earlier. One of the guns is actually a 10mm that can also shoot .40, the other is a 1911 double-stack in .40 that will get another barrel in 10mm so I can shoot both calibers. In these two guns, the .40 is not "snappy" as some people complain about here. I don't think any round could be called "snappy" out of a 6.5" N-Frame revolver, but that's just me.

    Jim

    Nope me either. I can't tell the difference. .40 is a fine round so rock on wit 'yo bad self :).
     

    capman98

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 11, 2011
    1,426
    Mt. Airy maryland
    Good Topic/post. In a SHTF I am grabbing whatever is on the shelf that way I can sell/barter what I don't need for any number of different needs when the time comes.

    My go 2's are 223/5.56 and 45. but will am adding a 9mm and dare I say a .40, :sad20:

    Now Lou45 is gonna laugh at me and call me names.
     

    Schwabe

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 20, 2010
    3,936
    Sho'a
    As the Great Obama Scare of 2009 showed anyone paying attention, 9mm, 45 ACP, .223, .308, 7.62x39, and .38 Special will disappear off the shelves at the first hint of something bad going down. .40 S&W was still on shelves that year, my local PD carries .40, and I have two firearms in .40. What does that tell you?

    Jim

    the only reason 38 special disappears is because it wasn't stocked in large quantities in the first place. Nowadays all ACP ammo should outsell revolver ammo. Obviously not a specialized ACP against the most common revolver round, just sayin' before some knucklehead pitches .357SIG against 38 special.
     

    smokering

    Day Walker
    May 16, 2008
    2,704
    AA
    So unless everyone plans on daily hunting for food and we aren't predicting the situation will go on for years vs months, then a couple hundred rounds set aside in each caliber owned should be fine for emergencies.
     

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